Where’s the Outrage?

I wrote this for the Urban News over a year ago. I thought that you might enjoy it.

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Okay, just stop it. I’m so tired of talking points. Both sides have ‘em. On one side, we have, “we can’t have politicians telling the generals in the field what to do.” Well, our Constitution has been set up in such a way that politicians tell generals what to do. On the other side, “the American people have spoken and have put us in charge to end the war.” Well, that is sort of true. If the American people unanimously wanted the war to end, then the Democrats would govern with 70 or 80% of the seats in both chambers.

There are a few things that are clear. First, the opinion of the American people has been slowly changing over the last two to three years. We’ve lost faith in the purpose and the execution of the Iraq war. In December 2003 (Quinnipiac University Poll), 46% of Americans thought that President Bush was handling the war in Iraq well. Over the years the percentage of Americans who supported the war and supported President Bush’s handling of the war has declined. In an April 25, 2007 poll from the same researchers, President Bush had an approval rating of only 31% on his handling of the war in Iraq. A new CNN poll (May 4-6, 2007, http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/05/08/rel6d.pdf) reveals that 57 % of Americans believe that Congress should send the president another bill with funding and timetables. [Read more →]

Tags: Bush Administration, Iraq, Newsletter by ecthompson
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Tim Russert’s sudden death should make us all reflect on our own lives. How are we livin? Are we working too hard and not taking enough time off? Are we exercising? Unfortunately, my answers are far from reassuring. I’m overweight. I could run a mile but it would take me a week. If I die tomorrow was it all worth it?

Tags: Media by ecthompson
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There is a ton that needs to be said about this decision. Instead of me wandering thru this decision, let’s see what Glenn Greenwald, a lawyer, has to say.

From Greenwald:

In a major rebuke to the Bush administration’s theories of presidential power — and in an equally stinging rebuke to the bipartisan political class which has supported the Bush detention policies — the U.S. Supreme Court today, in a 5-4 decision (.pdf), declared Section 7 of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 unconstitutional. The Court struck down that section of the MCA because it purported to abolish the writ of habeas corpus — the means by which a detainee challenges his detention in a court — despite the fact that the Constitution permits suspension of that writ only “in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion.”

As a result, Guantanamo detainees accused of being “enemy combatants” have the right to challenge the validity of their detention in a full-fledged U.S. federal court proceeding. The ruling today is the first time in U.S. history that the Court has ruled that detainees held by the U.S. Government in a place where the U.S. does not exercise formal sovereignty (Cuba technically is sovereign over Guantanamo) are nonetheless entitled to the Constitutional guarantee of habeas corpus whenever they are held in a place where the U.S. exercises effective control. [Read more →]

Tags: Bush Administration, Supreme court by ecthompson
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This group may be the definition of flash in the pan. One CD. 3 mega-hits then nothing. Bell Biv Devoe. Poison.

Tags: Music by ecthompson
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Tim Russert the long time host of Meet the Press has died. My heart goes out to Tim and his family. Extremely sad. Tim has been coming into or living rooms for over 2 decades. Whether you like him or not, he has been a staple of NBC and MSNBC. Tim died of an apparent heart attack.

From MSNBC:

Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after being stricken at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.

Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast when he collapsed, the network said.

He had recently returned from Italy, where his family was celebrating the graduation of Russert’s son, Luke, from Boston College. (more…)

Tags: Media by ecthompson
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